S5Lab

09/06/2026

We’re extremely happy to report that last week our lab was represented by two of our PhD students, Alessia Di Giacomo and Tommaso Pantalani, at the 27th ESA PAC Symposium for Balloon and Rocket Programmes in Trondheim, Norway. 🇳🇴

During the symposium, they had the opportunity to present both the RETINA and VIPER missions, which flew respectively in 2024 and 2026, sharing the work, challenges, results, and lessons learned from both projects with the wider European student space community. 🎈🚀

It was a truly inspiring experience to listen to other student teams, engineers, researchers, institutions, and companies working in the field of balloon, rocket, and space research. The symposium was not only a chance to present our missions, but also to exchange ideas, learn from others, and see the incredible variety of projects developed across Europe. 🌍✨

We would like to sincerely thank the Programme, , , , ZARM, , , and all sponsors and mentors for making this opportunity possible. 🙏

A special thank you also goes to the team at Andøya Space for organizing the symposium and to the many people that attended and listened to our talks. 💬

RETINA StudentResearch SpaceEngineering RocketScience BalloonMission Trondheim AerospaceEngineering SpaceResearch

03/02/2026

We went GO for DEPLOYMENT! 🛰️

Our 2U CubeSat CORAL, developed together with and under a research project has been deployed from the this morning at 08.45 UTC. 🌍

We successfully contacted the satellite shortly after deployment, throughout the first passes over the ground station in Rome. 📡

CORAL is the sixth S5Lab CubeSat to be successfully operated in space. Our research group becomes one of the very few in the world to be controlling 3 CubeSats from different launches and with different missions at the same time, while CORAL joins WildTrackCube-SIMBA and LEDSAT in LEO.

We were happy to participate and cheer in the deployment event today and honoured to have a cheerful comment from Prof. Marco Casolino from celebrating our satellite deployment and the industry-academia partnership that successfully brought to orbit an all Italian satellite.

CORAL will continue its early operations throughout the next few days for later starting its payloads mission.

Photo and Video Credit: JAXA

30/01/2026

⚠️ CORAL is GO for DEPLOYMENT! 🛰️

Our satellite CORAL, developed with the Center for Aerospace Studied (CRAS) in collaboration with and under an research action, will deployed from the next Tuesday, 3 February 2026, around 08.50 UTC (09.50 CET). 🛰️

The spacecraft deployment will be covered by a YouTube event hosted by , which will feature us as guests and the Embassy of Italy in Tokyo as guests at Tsukuba Space Centre. 📡

You’re invited to join the live feed from JAXA to give the final Go/No go call to CORAL with us 🚥!

Please join at https://www.youtube.com/live/aB4PIOS-hSs on Tuesday 3 February at 08.10CET!

More updates on the CORAL initial operations will follow.

05/11/2025

🚀 Our satellite CORAL has been launched to ISS!

Our 2U CubeSat CORAL has been launched on-board H3 F7 launch to the International Space Station on October 26 and was successfully berthed to the ISS three days later! The satellite has been delivered to the launch authority in August at Tsukuba Space Center, when our team members Lorenzo, Michela and Paolo have helped in the satellite integration in the JSSOD deployer.

The CubeSat has been developed under an initiative, together with as prime and as partner, to demonstrate innovative IoT inter-satellite communications, paving the way toward more agile and sustainable space infrastructures. Our spacecraft acceptance for the inaugural HTV-X1 launch was coordinated by @ Space BD and operated by .

The satellite will initiate its mission in the next weeks, being deployed from the ISS and by remaining in-orbit approximately for the next year.

We are happy to see our sixth satellite launched to space and we are super ready to start its missions and operations! 🌍✨

Ph credit:

05/11/2025

🚀 Our satellite CORAL has been launched to ISS!

Our 2U CubeSat CORAL has been launched on-board H3 F7 launch to the International Space Station on October 26 and was successfully berthed to the ISS three days later! The satellite has been delivered to the launch authority in August at Tsukuba Space Center, when our team members Lorenzo, Michela and Paolo have helped in the satellite integration in the JSSOD deployer.

The CubeSat has been developed under an initiative, together with as prime and as partner, to demonstrate innovative IoT inter-satellite communications, paving the way toward more agile and sustainable space infrastructures. Our spacecraft acceptance for the inaugural HTV-X1 launch was coordinated by Space BD and operated by .

The satellite will initiate its mission in the next weeks, being deployed from the ISS and by remaining in-orbit approximately for the next year.

We are happy to see our sixth satellite launched to space and we are super ready to start its missions and operations! 🌍✨

Ph credit:

17/05/2024

RETINA team just completed the Critical Design Review! 🚀

Our students recieved a lot of insightful comments and can’t wait to come back to Rome and start assembling the experiment. 🛫

Soon, after the design is finalized following the suggestions of the panel, we will be pleased to host the and experts at our facilities, for the upcoming Integration Progress Review in July. 👥

Thanks everyone for the support, we will be sure to keep you updated on our progresses in the next week! ⚙️

Per aspera ad astra 💫

08/12/2022

Selection Workshop: ✅

Today our LEDSAT2 team presented their CubeSat project in front of a panel of ESA experts for the FlyYourSatellite! Design Booster Selection Workshop.

Today's presentation is the result of great work by all the 43 students of our big team and, if selected, the start of a great journey towards the satellite development!

So fingers crossed, and let's go LEDSAT 2! 🛰️

08/12/2022

08/11/2022

Seven students from the LEDSAT 2 team are at ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, to follow the Fly Your Satellite! Design Booster training week, organized by the Education Office, alongside 11 other teams from all Europe. 🇳🇱🇮🇹🇪🇺

The training week is aimed at improving their knowledge before the Programme Selection Workshop to be held in the next weeks. 🛰️

Our students represent a team of 43 young engineering students from , the largest team at S5Lab so far. If selected, they will participate in the new Design Booster Programme to achieve CDR with the help of the ESA Education experts. 🚀

You can see them cheering with our old friend Paxi in the replica of the Columbus module! Keep your fingers crossed for our LEDSAT 2 team and stay tuned on this page for further updates! 🤞🏻💪🏻🚀.

Second picture: Credit ESA Education

16/09/2022

The whole lab team is pleased to join this year’s IAC that will be held next week (from 18 to 22 September) in Paris. The congress will be an important opportunity for everyone of us to share the latest results on the missions and projects we are following. Our talks will describe the latest results for all our projects, including the space debris observation campaigns, GreenCube and the satellite missions, .s5lab , .s5lab and much more. Stay tuned on this page for more info on our presentations and… see you in Paris for those who will participate! 🚀